Woodsmoke And Your Health
Last modified: July 27, 2006 - 4:13 PM
During the winter, smoke from domestic wood heaters causes a lot of air pollution.
It hangs around close by for a long time because of winter air inversion and the shape of the landscape. Pollutants in the smoke include:
• gases such as carbon monoxide
• organic compounds, including air toxics
• fine particles, formed when unburnt gases cool as they go up the chimney; in the air, these can be seen as white smoke. Who is at risk?
Woodsmoke pollution affects everyone. It is bad for your health and the health of others in your community. Health effects depend on the extent of your exposure to woodsmoke, your age and your current state of wellbeing. People who are more at risk are infants and very young children those suffering from existing cardiac or respiratory conditions, such as asthma those with vascular complications from diabetes, and frail elderly people. Your poorly operating woodheater could be negatively affecting the health of these at risk people. You can be affected by woodsmoke:• inside and outside your home
• from your own wood heater or from other wood heaters in your neighbourhood. Appendix Air Toxics
Air toxics generated during wood burning include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) which may cause cancer. Air toxics can also cause eye irritation, headaches and serious damage to the respiratory, nervous, reproductive, developmental and immune systems. Studies have shown that PAH levels are highest during winter in NSW regional towns where wood heaters are a popular form of heating. Carbon Monoxide A poorly installed or leaking wood heater can cause excessive levels of carbon monoxide (CO) in the home. CO deprives the body of oxygen, impairing thinking and reflexes. At low levels of exposure, people can experience headaches, fatigue or chest pain; and at moderate levels, flu-like symptoms. At high concentrations, CO poisoning may result in death. Fine Particles
Particulate matter (PM) can cause short term health problems including itchy or burning eyes, throat irritation and a runny nose; and illnesses like bronchitis. Particles can aggravate existing heart and lung conditions such as angina, chronic bronchitis, emphysema and asthma. Inversion
In winter the air around us cools down a lot overnight. When the sun comes up in the morning, it heats up the highest air first, creating a pocket of cold air down near the ground and us.
As smoke leaves the chimney, it is cooled down by the air around it. Instead of the smoke floating off into the wide blue yonder like all of those idyllic country paintings, it sinks and is trapped nice and close to us and our neighbours so we can breathe it in all day.
You’ll often see a low haze over your town in the morning if it has a few poorly running wood heaters in it, especially if it also happens to be in a valley.
Contact details
Wingecarribee Shire Council
02 4868 0888 (ph)
02 4869 1203 (fax)
wscmail@wsc.nsw.gov.au
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